Poignant Civil War Letters of Indiana Union Soldiers

This collection of 13 letters and a partial muster roll tells much of the story of the Civil War service of John E. Deck in Company A of the 57th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Nine of the letters are from Deck to his brother, sister, and father, while the other four letters are from Private Barzillai Osborne, also of Company A, to Deck's sister Nancy J. Deck. Tragically, neither Osborne nor Nancy J. Deck survived the war.

John E. Deck survived the war, advancing to the rank of 1st sergeant or 1st lieutenant (sources vary), and returned to Indiana to take up a life of farming. He married in 1868 and had a family of six daughters, one of whom he named after his beloved sister Nancy, whom he described in one of these letters as "the best friend that i ever had on earth."

[CIVIL WAR.] John E. Deck and Barzillai Osborne, Archive of letters, 1863-1865, 38 pp. General toning; some edge and several fold tears.

Contents and Excerpts
-John E Deck to Brother, April 22, 1862, Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, 2 pp. fragment, 3.75" x 6.25"
"Pits Burg Battleground / April the 22nd 1862 / John E. Deck / Dear Brother it is with pleasure that i take my pen in hand to let you know that i am well at present and in hopes that these few lines will find you all in good health."
"it was to my sore displeasure to Learn that my beloved brother had departed this life and I cannot help sheding tears when eaver i think of the many hapy hours we spent together in this life but the will of the lord be done and let us prepare to meet him in heaven where parting is no more and all is joy and pease"
John E. Deck's younger brother Colbert F. Deck died on March 14, 1862, at the age of 20 years and 7 months.

-Barzillai Osborne to Nancy J. Deck, November 2, 1862, Camp at New Glasgow, Kentucky, 4 pp., 4.75" x 7.75".
"Just as you said there so much news going that we do not know when to believe anything It is likely if I knew what the news is up there in regard to us I could tell something about it.... We slep in our tents last night for the first time since we left McMinnville Tennessee too month to morrow And we had a right smart little snow on the night of the 25th a snow of about 5 inches deep.... Since we left Louisville we have marched about 300 three hundred miles We first went away down to wild cat amongst the mountains and hills 150 one hundred and fifty miles and then took a turn and come back a while about forty miles then turned Southwest and came away down in here.... Fought for our camp near every nigh[t] to drive them away from water"

-John E. Deck to Nancy J. Deck, December 5, 1862, n.p., 4 pp., 3.875" x 6.125".
"you know that when i was at home that i still took a pain in my back and hipps Well that has bin my fixx here and the old man could not make the ups and downs quite like he wanted to but i think that things will all come out write yet"
"i am now in the hospitall and have a good bed to sleep on and plenty to eat i eat light bread instead of hard crackers and roten pork some think the hospital is the last plase in the wourld is it not beter to sleep in the dry than in the rain and mud you canot help but be beter"
"i got the gloves that you sent by the capt and to pair of socks and to shirts that you sent by the Lieutenant i was glad to hear that my money got home safe"

-Barzillai Osborne to Nancy J. Deck, December 5, 1862, Camp near Nashville, Tennessee, 4 pp., 5" x 8".
"Though as I told you before John is not very well But he is better than he was a while back. He is so that he can take care of his self purty well now. He left us yesterday and went to Nashville for the purpose of getting a better place to stay and have better treatment Leander Stewart went with him and I hope they are in a good place by a good fire where they can keep comfortable for it is a bad snow day today I do not know what is the matter of him But I think not the reumatism as you was so affraid of"

-John E. Deck to Nancy J. Deck, December 15, 1862, Louisville, Kentucky, 2 pp., 5" x 8".
"dont make your self oneasy about me for the god of our Lord Jesus Christ the saviour of all men is my gide and my shield in him will i trust i left Nashvill last friday morning for this plase and i expect to go to the regiment in a few days and try the field again"
"i have money enough to do me till we draw again i think that the day is nigh at hand that the war will be wound to a close and then what a hapy meeting there will be with Loved ones at home"

-Barzillai Osborne to [Nancy J. Deck], December [25?], 1862, Camp near Nashville, Tennessee, 2 pp., 5" x 8".
"you said since Bill and Milt was married their was no chance for you and Sarah Lane But I should think if they could get married you shurely could that should encourage you both"

-Barzillai Osborne to Nancy J. Deck, February 22, 1863, Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 2 pp., 7.25" x 9.5".
"You stated in your letter that you had got a letter from John that stated that him and me was at Nashville together and so we was but are not now[.] I am with the company now and John is still at Nashville at the Convalescent Camp and also Tom Owens and some more of the boys of our Company."
"You also said that you wanted me to do all I could to get them to send John home. And that I will be sure to do. But little good can I do. You must remember that we have to do as we can get the chance here and you must make your self as easy as possible. This is troublesome times, and we must content our selves in the best way we can.... And what do you think, we feel when we hear of Indiana seceeding and also other troubles in the north. Though it is not worth my while to say much about that, for here I am and here I will stay until I can get away. Well, I will say they are firing off some nasional salute this evening and it sounds a little like war. Like a battle was going off."

-John E. Deck to [Nancy J. Deck], March 10, 1863, Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1 p., 8" x 12.5".
"i will tell you what is the first thing that i want to eat when I come home and that is a pot of mush and milk for that is a good Meal for me and i know that you would laff to see me eat of it"

-John E. Deck to John Deck, March 5, 1863, Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 3 pp., 7.75" x 12.25"; with integral John Deck to John E. Deck, March 31, 1863, Henry County, Indiana, 1 p.
"I will send you twenty dollars more in the same way and trust to luck and kind providense for its safety and if it comes to hand use it for your self if you kneed it for i want you to take care of all my property and money that i send to you and when ever Nancy kneeds any money give it to her and Charge it to me and if george and abe kneeds money and you wanto lend them some on in trust if you wish but take care of no one first for you are old and these are young and able to work and you cant"
"if I should hapen to fall on the field though i would meet my fate like a soldier should i want you to give my Land all to david and the rest of my money and Colt I want you and Nancy to have for she is the best friend that i ever had on earth and it would do my soul good to see you all onse more but as times is we cannot see each other at the present but i think that the time will soon come when we will be again permited to return home in pease to our friends and enjoy the blessings of a civil life"
"i heard that the state authorities has demanded all the firearms of the citizens in the state to be turned over to the state authorities to prevent treason i think if those men up there would come down here and see where the army has marched through Kentucky and Tennessee where they can travil for days and scarcely see a fense or hear a chicken crow or see a hazy horse or sheep or cow and hardly a house they dont know what war is or they would never want it in their own state"
[His father John Deck's response:]
"i sent a shirt & pare of drawers and a pair of socks it is snowing at present I paid my doctor bill yesterday you wanted to know how we paid our tax and store Bill that is all Paid so for every thing is cash here now so in that way we dont get more than we pay for and do without the rest"

-John E. Deck to Nancy J. Deck, April [?], 1863, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 3 pp., 7.5" x 9.75".
"you also stated that you got the miniatures that i sent to you and that you sent one of them to Jacob and you said that you got all the money that i sent home well we have just bin out on a night scouting party of 11 days this is great funn for the boys for we have all the chickens and fresh pork.... We are bringing all the union families into our lines to feed and clothe them"
"i think that the ware will not last longer than this fall at farthest i think that we will go out on another scout in a few days and will be out about twenty days and i think we will have a good time so if you dont get any letters for a good while you will know the reason why you said that Davids cow had a calf this looks like he was going to get Maried tell him that he must not forget to ask me to his weding for i want to danse in the hog trough"

-John E. Deck to Nancy J. Deck, June 2, 1863, Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 2 pp., 4.75" x 7.75".
"I wish that you would oblige me by buying me a good [Servis?] watch and send it to me.... get a hunters case watch for they suit the servis best."

John E. Deck's sister Nancy Jane Deck died on January 29, 1864, at age 26 years and 6 months.

-John E. Deck to John Deck, January 4, 1864, Camp near Blanes Crossroads, Tennessee, 2 pp., 7.75" x 12".
"was glad to hear that you got my money all safe you rote to me last spring some thing concerning my calf you said that she would not work and you thought that you had better sell her and I wrote and told you to do so and you never rote wether you sold her or not.... I would like to know what your tax was this year and your store bill and how much wheat and corn you raised and how many hoggs you sold and every thing concerning the affairs at home for the times are very hard at present in the army and it does me good to hear from home for we dont get half enough to eat We have bin on half rations ever since the battle of Chickamauga and part the time on parched corn We have been over one month with out our tents and many of the Boys with out Blankets or socks.... I have wore my shirt over six weeks and dont know how much longer I will have to ware it before I can get another I took it of this morning to have it washed there is a great many or the boys in the regiment a going in the vetern servis But they cant get old John in for their four hundred and two dollars yet and thirty days furlough it is hard to catch an old bird on chaff I should like to have the furlough but the month is not as long to serve as the years"

-John E. Deck to John Deck, May 11, 1864, Camp near Dalton, Georgia, 4 pp., 5" x 8".
"Well father things looks very hostile here I was in a charge on the 9th of the month and by the blessing of god came out safe there were none of the boys of our Company hurt there were only five wounded in our regiment and none killed the ridge that we charged is called Rocky faced ridge and is in many places hardly wide enough on top for two men to walk in a file what you might call a pile of rocks the enemy is got one of the best positions here that ever I saw them have before but I think that we will [hist?] them out of there before long Gen hooker has cut their communication in their rear and diserters from their lines say that they have not got more than ten days rations on hand and if that is their position they cannot stay in their strong hold long and it was determine in the capture of the biger potion of the rebble army we have the news that Grant is a whipping Lee in Virginia at evry point and that the capture of richmond is certain but I give the report but little credit as it has been the report so often that we dont know what to believe"
"tell David and Mary and Clary that I think of them often and it is my great desire to be with them if the Cause of my Contry would admit of it But I pray that the day will soon come Pease will be Proclaimed in both north and south and be one people again as we were in the days of General Jackson father don't be oneasy about me for my Deliverance is in God who is able to save and able to Destroy and fast to for give for it is not Given unto us to know the judgements of god and I hope to see you again before one year and be a free man"
The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge was fought from May 7 to 11, 1864 in northwestern Georgia. A Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston had entrenched on the long steep Rocky Face Ridge, and Union troops under Major General William T. Sherman made a demonstration against Johnston's position before moving west and south to attack the Confederate supply line at Resaca, Georgia. When Johnston discovered Sherman's movement, he withdrew his forces south to Resaca. The two armies fought an inconclusive battle at Resaca from May 13 to 15, before Sherman again threatened Johnston's supply line, and Johnston retreated fifteen miles south to Adairsville, continuing the Atlanta Campaign of May to September 1864.

-Fragment of Muster-Out Roll of Captain Isaac T. Earle's Company, A, in the Fifty-Seventh Regiment of Indiana Veteran Infantry Volunteers, Commanded by Lt. Colonel John S. McGraw, ca. 1865. 2 pp., 31" x 10.75".
Includes John E. Deck as 1st Sergeant, Age 26.

John Edward Deck (1839-1922) was born in Fayette County, Ohio, the son of John Deck (1801-1886) and Anna Nancy Anderson Deck (1811-1875). He had eleven brothers and sisters, including Nancy J. Deck (1837-1864). He enlisted at Richmond, Indiana, as a private Company A of the 57th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in October 1861. He was promoted to corporal on August 2, 1862, and to sergeant on June 15, 1863. He reenlisted as a sergeant in the 57th Indiana Veteran Infantry on January 1, 1864, was promoted to 1st sergeant on August 3, 1865, and was discharged on December 14 of that year. In 1868, he married Minerva Tygart (1846-1929), and they had six daughters. He was a farmer in Henry County, about thirty-five miles east of Indianapolis, until around 1900, when he moved about twenty miles west and settled on a farm near Philadelphia, Indiana, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Barzillai Osborne (1839-1864) was born in Indiana and lived as a farmer with his parents in Henry County, Indiana, in 1860. He had at least five siblings. He enlisted as a private in Company A of the 57th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in December 1861. He re-enlisted as a private in the 57th Indiana Veteran Infantry. He was killed in a skirmish near Dallas, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta, on June 14, 1864.

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